K-8th Grade

Primary

In Kindergarten through second grade, all classes plan meaningful and engaging lessons that are rooted in the Catholic faith and utilize Archdiocesan standards to drive instruction. Language Arts follows the Wonders Language Arts Curriculum which focuses on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and beginning writing and spelling that follow phonics rules. Teachers also run reading centers that provide individualized instruction for all learning levels.  

Our math instruction from the Big Ideas curriculum focuses on number sense, addition and subtraction, and introduces concepts of measurement, money, and time. Students are grouped based on grade level.

Our robust instruction also includes daily lessons in history, science, and religion in which students engage in these topics through projects and field trips.  Some notable field trips includeYaYa Farms/Rock Creek Farm (alternating), Miller Farm, Planetarium, Denver Zoo, Sweet Cow, Butterfly Pavilion  

In these crucial formative years, it is important that students not only learn core curriculum, but also engage in, building healthy friendships, developing gross and fine motor skills, and practicing living out their faith. Additionally, teachers utilize the Brainwise curriculum to encourage social emotional well-being. 

Small class sizes ensure that students are truly known and loved. 

Intermediate

Sacred Heart of Jesus Elementary School is known for its award-winning academics. Most students test at least one grade level higher than the norm on standardized tests. We offer an excellent core curriculum based on archdiocesan standards. Small class sizes with low student/teacher ratios afford plenty of individual attention.

Curriculum continues to expand from lower elementary where students dig deeper into key subjects, building on previous their year’s learning.  A major part of grades 3 – 5 is to connect topics in meaningful ways and to help students gain more understanding of concepts through direct experiences such as 4th Grade Businesses, field trips and pilgrimages related to curriculum standards.  Students explore content through simulations, projects and collaborative learning opportunities.

Literacy

Our teachers utilize the McGraw-Hill Wonders Reading Program for classroom instruction in Kindergarten through 5th grade, and the Lexia Computer Program for personalized learning and reading skills development.

Mathematics

Math students are grouped according to their skill levels. The elementary program encompasses the Big Ideas Math Program and in-depth supplemental instruction.

The SHJ intermediate years are a time of growth and helping students become the best person they can be!

Middle School

At Sacred Heart of Jesus, the middle school students are the leaders of the school. Our goal is to guide them to become positive role models and strong leaders by teaching them to embrace responsibility as Christian stewards. Our excellent middle school staff members create an environment where students are challenged to be their best, encouraged to ask questions, and are valued for who they are.  

Our priority in the SHJ middle school is to address the whole child and the unique gifts that they bring to our community.  To prepare our students for a rigorous high school curriculum, our daily core classes include math, social studies, science, religion, and language arts/ literature. Rotating enrichment classes include art, music, Spanish, and physical education. We also cater to the social emotional growth of the students by teaching them critical thinking skills using the Brainwise curriculum. 

We also believe part of our responsibility as Christian stewards is to serve the community around us.  Middle school students are required to complete a specific amount of “service hours” within the school, home, and greater community.  

We invite you to come and see why it’s an exciting time to be an SHJ middle school student! 

Middle School Trips

  • JP II Outdoor Educational Lab | Students in 6th grades participate in the annual October field trip in Annunciation Heights. Managed by Archdiocese of Denver, this outdoor educational facility in the mountains near the old Camp Malo provides our students with hands-on learning in astronomy, ecosystems, orienteering and hiking.
  • Catalina Island Marine Institute (CIMI) | Students in 7th grade embark on this four-day adventure to Catalina Island, California to study marine biology, dissect squid, observe sharks, kayak, snorkel, go on geo-hikes and explore sea life in the Pacific. The trip includes a tour of and overnight experience aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach.
  • Washington D.C. | After completing a spring Social Studies project, students in 8th grade visit our nation’s Capitol for a week-long adventure. During this trip they meet a senator, tour the Holocaust Museum, Ford Theater,  National Museum of African American History and Culture, colonial Williamsburg and various historical landmarks, including the Vietnam Memorial where they place a flower in memory of a soldier they researched prior to leaving school for Washington. The students also attend Mass at the Washington National Cathedral.

Student Enrichment

Art

Areas of concentration over the years include:

  • Developing small motor coordination
  • Improving hand-eye coordination
  • Drawing basic geometric shapes
  • Combining lines and shapes in drawings
  • Problem solving
  • Art history: developing an art vocabulary
  • Learning about and understanding other cultures through art
  • Drawing the body with proper connections of limbs
  • Exploring painting: learning to make secondary colors
  • Experiencing a wide variety of media methods

Music

Areas of concentration over the years include:

  • Singing alone and with others
  • Performing instruments alone and with others
  • Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
  • Composing and arranging music within specific guidelines
  • Reading and notating music
  • Listening to, analyzing, responding to, and describing music
  • Understanding the relationship between music and other disciplines
  • Understanding the relationship between music, history, culture and our Catholic faith

Library

Elementary students visit the library with their classes weekly. Students are encouraged to check-out books and enjoy quiet reading time with their classmates.

Students in pre-kindergarten through second grade have story time with the librarian to improve reading comprehension skills as well as learning about popular and classic authors and books.

Spanish

Spanish classes for the elementary school are offered weekly for a period of 45 minutes each.

Physical Education

Areas of comprehension over the years include:

  • A comprehensive physical education program designed to introduce and explore skills and concepts that emphasize the development of the total child
  • Developmentally-appropriate physical activities that promote self-worth, encourage cooperation and self-control, and lead to choices that promote a healthy lifestyle
  • Movement activities involving rhythms, gymnastics, fitness, and games/activities
  • Age-appropriate fitness and wellness concepts and activities.

Middle School Curriculum includes the following components:

  • A comprehensive program that promotes mastery of skills introduced in elementary schools in a wide variety of physical activities and experiences
  • Instruction in more complex skill and movement patterns that enhance participation in individual and team sports skills, dance, and gymnastics
  • Participation in a variety of activities that allows students to explore and apply information essential for a lifetime of individual fitness and wellness.
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